ATI Radeon HD 4890 vs. Nvidia GeForce GTX 275

Gamers looking to spend some $250 on a brand new graphics card were given two new options last month when ATI unleashed their Radeon HD 4890 and Nvidia countered with the GeForce GTX 275.

Starting with the Radeon HD 4890, this new card is in essence an overclocked Radeon HD 4870 with far greater overclocking abilities. ATI has fine-tuned the RV790 XT core allowing for incredible core frequencies. Although the default core speed of 850MHz is a moderate bump over the 4870, many users are reporting overclocks in the order of 1GHz and beyond, which makes for an interesting update.

The GeForce GTX 275 is also a derivative from an existing product, borrowing its GPU from the GeForce GTX 295, which is a dual-GPU graphics card. The GTX 275 uses a 55nm GPU featuring the same amount of SPUs and TAUs as the more powerful GeForce GTX 285, while only as many ROPs as the GeForce GTX 260. Nvidia has then increased the core and memory frequencies of the GeForce GTX 275 when compared to the dual-GPU GeForce GTX 295.

On paper the GeForce GTX 275 is a lot like the GeForce GTX 285, a graphics card that costs an additional $100. The key difference between these two products, other than the slightly different core configurations, is their memory bus width. The more expensive GeForce GTX 285 gets the 512-bit bus, whereas the GeForce GTX 275 features a 448-bit bus, or about 20% less bandwidth at its disposal.

As luck would have it, the GeForce GTX 275 was not just a quick and easy counter for the Radeon HD 4890, it was the perfect counter. Prior to the launch of these two cards the Radeon HD 4870 and GeForce GTX 260 were already doing battle. The Radeon HD 4890 was meant to outclass both products and conquer the $250 price range but evidently that didn't go as planned.

Today we will put both cards to the test and find out which is faster in a wide range of games using the latest drivers. We will also be looking at their maximum overclocked performance to help you decide which is the best value option for enthusiasts and PC gamers alike.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click on ATI or Nvidia

Cooler Master Storm Scout Mid-Tower Case Review

The PC enclosure market has been booming like never before and the days of the old “beige box” are most certainly gone. Today, we’re seeing bigger, better, feature rich and innovative enclosures hitting the market in record numbers. We have had the pleasure of reviewing many of these trend setting new cases this year and one such case was the Cooler Master Storm Sniper. Released only two months ago, it was the first case in Cooler Master’s new “CM Storm” series. Although Cooler Master has a whopping thirty four different cases available at the moment, the “CM Storm” series is a very different animal. As we most definitely confirmed in our Sniper review, Cooler Master listened very carefully to what was most important to LAN gamers when it came to an enclosure. The result was an extremely solid and practical case that not only looked the part, but performed very well. One aspect of the Storm Sniper that potential buyers would either love or hate is its size. It is by no means a compact case, measuring twenty two inches tall and deep while weighing in at almost 24 pounds. Not everyone needs such a large case, and Cooler Master was all too happy to provide those individuals with an alternative and thus was born their latest creation: the Storm Scout.

As you have no doubt already guessed, the Scout is a more compact case in the “CM Storm” line-up. Definitely not a micro model by any means, it is over two inches shorter in height and depth, and about an inch and a half narrower than the Storm Sniper. Its weight is also reduced by about four pounds, making it even more appealing to on the go LAN gamers. Although Cooler Master kept the case at a reasonable “mid-tower” size, the Storm Scout is still packed with a healthy array of features including oversize 140mm fans and steel reinforced carrying handles. Like the Sniper, the Scout also enjoys a top mounted fan/LED control panel as well as Cooler Master’s innovative “StormGuard” system that helps to prevent the theft of USB peripherals at public LAN events. Aside from many of the features we loved in the Sniper, the Scout also brings some new cosmetic touches to the table like a tinted side window and a black painted interior.

After having the bar set so high by the Storm Sniper, we must say that we have very high expectations of the Storm Scout and hope that it can live up to its bigger brother’s reputation in our labs. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Pyramid PC casemod

Casemods range from the peculiar to the spaceage, but this one -- a pyramid PC case -- kinda takes things to the next level of outrageousness. Weighing in at 7.5 pounds (just for the case) this 25-inch high beast is not exactly compact, with a 19 x 19-inch base. Modder polo360x made it from a customized Luxor pyramid case, and, and in our opinion, it fits in nicely with his home decor choices. Check out another two shots and hit the read link for many, many more, plus a full specsheet.

This has to be one of the coolest PC case mods we have seen so far here at geeky gadgets, the Great Pyramid PC Mod, made by modder polo360x from the Techpowerup forums.

This amazing case was made from a customized Luxor Pyramid case, which was made from laser cut aluminum, and is a combination of black and silver aluminum, the base measures 19 by 19 inches and the case stands 25 inches tall (there were only ever 200 of these cases ever made, and it looks like there is one less).

Here’s a list of the PC specifications.

• CPU: Q6600 B3 OC @ 3.15 GHz (Max stable OC @ 3.4 GHz) – “water cooled”
• Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L
• RAM: G-Skills 4GB PC2-8000 OC @ 1066 MHz
• GPU: 512 MB 8800GT Zotac AMP Editions (700 MHz Core/ 2000 Mhz Memory)
• HDD: 500 GB Cavier WD 300 SATA
• PSU: 500 Watts Rosewill
• Cooling: Thermaltake Tide water plus w/ Swiftech apogee GT CPU block

It certainly is a stunning looking PC case mod, head on over to Techpowerup forums for lots more photos and details of this amazing pc case mod.

To view the complete set of pictures click here

To view even more pictures click here

ASUS Rampage II Gene LGA1366 mATX Motherboard Review

Bigger, faster, stronger, better; that is how things usually work in today's world. In the electronics and computer hardware world, that isn't quite the case. Despite the motherboard form factor seemingly expanding with more and more top end enthusiast motherboards coming out in slightly bloated ATX sizes, there are still a lot of users who want smaller and sleeker. Laptops for years have been battling the power versus size equation trying to jam as much processing power as possible into the same form factor. The home computer market has been stagnant for years, accepting the ATX form factor as the default size that a computer is going to have to be. m-ATX or micro-ATX emerged a number of years ago as an answer to the HTPC markets need for a smaller form factor to accommodate entertainment system size cases. This form factor has long been ignored by enthusiast motherboard manufacturers relegating m-ATX motherboards to be middle of the pack and pedestrian in overclocking. ASUS decided that they wanted to change that perception with one fell swoop and released an m-ATX version of their extremely popular Rampage line of motherboards. Today we will be looking at the ASUS Rampage II Gene. The Gene is a fully featured m-ATX motherboard supporting the latest Intel i7 processors, six DDR3 DIMM slots, dual PCI-E 16X expansion slots for full CrossFireX and SLI support, powered by the Intel X58 chipset and all that it has to offer. DFI has been the only manufacturer that has kept the m-ATX market happy with P35/P45/X48 enthusiast level m-ATX motherboards. ASUS clearly saw a spot in the market that had room for another player and jumped into the game. The difference between the Rampage II Gene and the majority of m-ATX motherboards designed for the HTPC market with underpowered onboard video, is that the Gene packs all the punch of its full ATX brothers, but in an m-ATX form factor. The Gene is a fully functioning Intel X58 powered motherboard, complete with the overclocking heritage of the ROG line and ready for whatever hardware you can throw at it. This motherboard is designed to challenge small form factor case modders and builders into seeing what they can do with the smaller foot print. Imagine a LAN box with a set of components inside that make the full size cases at your next LAN party shake in their boots. The Rampage II Gene is not trying to be an HTPC m-ATX motherboard, it wants to be a fully featured ATX board without all the bulk. As such, we will be testing and critiquing this motherboard as if it were any other high-end enthusiast ATX or E-ATX motherboard on the market. Will the Gene be just another generic m-ATX offering with a lot of hype, or will the Rampage II Gene be the little board that can, accomplishing everything the big boys do?

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Inno3D iChill GTX275 Review

When looking for a video card that is capable of playing games well at high quality, users are bombarded with choices: brands, versions, overclocked and stock speeds, and many other variables. The recently released GTX 275 is intended to fill the price and performance gap between the GTX 260 and GTX 285/295, and also combat AMD’s new 4890, all the while still offering high-end performance. Up for review is Inno3D’s iChill GTX 275 with a non-reference cooler designed by Arctic Cooling. The card comes with 896MB of GDDR3 clocked at 2350MHz, the core running at 670MHz, and shaders at 1474MHz, all on a 55nm fabrication process with 240 stream processors. Overall, the card matches specifications of a GTX 280/285 and half of a GTX 295 on stream processors, and matches a GTX 260 and GTX 295 with 896MB of memory. Power usage and efficiency, along with overall clock speed and overclocking ability, should be improved over the older GTX 280, while the smaller memory bus (448-bit) and 128MB less memory may take a little away from the card compared to the 512-bit 1GB memory on the GTX 280/285s.

Inno3D is the graphics card division of the company InnoVISION Multimedia Limited. InnoVISION is a multimedia hardware products company that was founded in 1998 in Hong Kong, China, producing mostly Nvidia-based graphics cards, while the company also has produced some motherboards. Other brands include InnoDV digital video/capture cards, InnoAX high-end sound/audio cards, and EIO advanced peripherals. The company aims to bring the ultimate experience to users at an affordable price point.

To view the complete review click here

GeForce GTS 250 Roundup

It seems that everywhere we look these days someone is trying to save a few dollars when it comes to upgrading or building a new system. Over the past 6 months both Nvidia and ATI have released plenty of cards that will appeal to those of you who are on a budget but don’t want to sacrifice much in the way of performance. ATI cards like the HD 4830, HD 4850 and the new HD 4770 fit the bill while Nvidia has the 9800 GT, the GTS 250 and to a lesser extent, the 9600 GT. This particular roundup will look a bit closer at the GTS 250 with products from Gigabyte, ASUS Sparkle and EVGA. Granted, this isn’t a blockbuster roundup with a ton of cards but it will show you the tip of the very large iceberg that is the GTS 250 product range. To be completely honest with you, during the course of requesting and receiving samples for this roundup we were quite surprised with the reaction we received from quite a few manufacturers. Comments ranged from “why would you want to do a GTS 250 roundup?” to “we are not actively marketing that product at this time” to a general lack of enthusiasm for anything GTS 250 related. Considering the amazing response (no fewer than 6 cards) we received for an upcoming roundup of a different Nvidia card, this was curious to be sure. Unperturbed, we pressed on since we feel that at its current price the GTS 250 can offer a perfect cure for the recession-inspired doldrums. Believe it or not, this is our first review of the GTS 250 since we decided to sit back and wait for the initial fury of yet another rebadged card release to die down. Now that the GTS 250 has settled into the market (and quite well at that), we felt it was time to take a look at what a few different manufacturers had to offer. We have also recently seen a number of sales which have really piqued people’s interest in this card. Just remember, the GTS 250 seems like nothing more than a gussied up 9800 GTX+ on paper but as we will see, Nvidia’s board partners have added their own unique spin to things. GIGABYTE, ASUS and EVGA have all been featured prominently here on Hardware Canucks in the past and they are all well known in the enthusiast marketplace. Sparkle on the other hand is making their debut here but they are no less recognizable everywhere from Canada to Taiwan. Each of these board partners has taken a bit different approach to the way they are presenting their GTS 250 with some having custom coolers while others are slightly overclocked. This large variance from one model to the next is what makes the GTS 250 lineup so interesting; there is some real variety on the market if you bother to look for it. While this may be called a “Round Up”, we do things a bit differently when it comes to reviewing multiple cards within the same article. Basically, we will be treating this almost like 4 separate reviews since it is our opinion that each product deserves its time to shine. Knowing that, let’s get on with this thing.

To view the complete review click here

SilverStone RV01 Raven Case Review

It certainly is not everyday that we come across a case which is truly unique. Sure we have reviewed many cases, some of which you could argue are unique for their near perfection; however, even the greatest have all used the same tried and true layout in a typical East West / Back to Front fashion (or ATX or BTX format). Today’s case is special, for it truly is unique; it literally takes conventional wisdom and lays it on its ear. The case we are referring to is the all new SilverStone Raven. This is certainly not a cheap case with a retail price of $235CAD and up, nor is it most likely going to be available in every brick and mortar / mom and pop computer store. At this point it is available in limited quantities from many retailers and e-tailers throughout the country but its unique styling may end up being its own worst enemy. After all, its one thing to bring in an expensive case you know someone will want but it is a bit of a stretch to expect many consumers to take a risk on case which is completely different from anything they have seen before. Especially in this economic climate. Unlike conventional wisdom, which has the motherboard laid out in such a way that the PCI slots and I/O connectors are located at the back of the case, the Raven has the whole entire “back” of the case repositioned so it is literally the TOP. Heat does rise so we can see some merit to this design scheme but we can also see a lot of potential negatives as well. In the end we have a feeling the success or failure of this case hinges on how well the engineers over at SilverStone have done their jobs and not only anticipated these hazards but actually designed workarounds to either minimize or remove said hazards. This to us makes this case not only interesting from a structural point of view but also from an engineering one. We also have a sneaking suspicion that this case is going to make it or break it on a more visceral level and be an all or nothing affair. Either you will love its unique layout or you will loath it; it is as simple as that. To us this is the sign of a great company, as any company can produce a great “normal” case (as long as they are willing to invest the time, money and resources into doing it right); but, its something all together different to attack a market niche no one else even sees and then have the moral fortitude to actually build that niche’s “perfect case”. It is for this reason we are not surprised it is those maverick’s over at SilverStone which have released an enclosure that bucks every trend out there. SilverStone may have only been around since 2003, but in this short time they really shaken the aftermarket computer industry and some would even go as far to say they have taken it by storm. Whether its their great power supplies, or their top of the line cases, the name SilverStone to many people literally translates to QUALITY; and this something many, many older more established companies would kill to have. To have done so in such a relatively short period of time speaks volumes about them. Where this the Raven is likely going to be an all or nothing affair we will do our best to provide you with the knowledge and the tools you need to decide whether or not this case is right for YOU. With that in mind, sit back, grab your favourite beverage and let’s get this ride started!

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Silverstone Raven RV01 Hardware Canucks Product Showcase

Silverstone has made headlines again with its all new and completely unique Silverstone Raven RV01. Taking some design ques from the Stealth Jets (the planes, not a sports team), the Raven has a style which has no equal, and coupled with Silverstone quality, it has all the makings for an excellent product. Much of the chatter about this one of a kind chassis, surrounds its innovative cooling and airflow engineering which mixes science and common sense into an elixir that promises to have near magical powers for reducing system temperatures. Check out our Product Showcase video as we get a visual on all the nooks and crannies of the Raven and fly in for a closer look.

To view the complete showcase click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Thermaltake Element S Hardware Canucks Product Showcase

A longstanding name in the realm of computer chassis's, Thermaltake has taken a bit of a turn from their typical eccentric design and styled the case to focus on its intended purpose - to house computers hardware. The Element S is a mid tower enclosure with simple, sleek curves on the outside, and an impressive feature list hidden within its panels. The unbiased and adaptable design make it perfect for any enviroment - from gaming, to office workstation and even server, this case fits them all. Thermaltake was clearly meticulous about every detail in the case, ensuring a near flawless wiring layout, and catering to the small things, such as rounded edges for safety and sleeved power wires. The designers also made sure that cooling performance was not sacrificed for aesthetics. A simple, yet effective and quiet airflow pattern was setup perfectly to handle the warmest equipment. All this for such an average price tag, the Element S is the perfect modest chasis solution.

To view the complete showcase click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Thermaltake Spedo Advance Package Full Tower Case Review

Thermaltake is a very familiar name in the PC hardware industry and not only for PC enthusiasts. Just about anyone who has walked into a computer shop in the last decade has undoubtedly seen some of Thermaltake’s products on the shelves. Founded back in 1999 - long before the Pentium 4 even hit the market – Thermaltake’s mission was to provide consumers with better alternatives to many of the “beige box” and OEM accessories that were available at the time. A lot has changed over the last ten years, and Thermaltake has developed into a very large and successful company offering a diverse range of products. Although probably best known for cases and heatsinks, they have moved on into other areas such as power supplies, storage accessories and even server components. Thermaltake is also one of the few PC accessory makers that has gone public and is listed on the stock market. Today, we’re going to be taking a look at one of Thermaltake’s newest cases—the Spedo. Now, before you start chuckling, we want to be clear that it is “Spedo” and not “Speedo”, which will definitely throw off your friends if you tell them to “Check out my new Speedo!”. All kidding aside, the Spedo is a very interesting enthusiast grade case that caught our interest here at the HWC labs. We’ve had some very impressive cases passing through over the last several weeks, including the Cooler Master Storm Sniper and the SilverStone Raven, and we were definitely looking forward to taking a close look at the Spedo “Advance Package”. So what exactly makes the Spedo a case that stands out in a crowd? Plenty. First off, it’s a massive full-tower case standing a full 24 inches tall, with two massive 230mm fans, a 140mm fan and three 120mm fans. Clearly, that is a lot of cooling packed into a case making this a case aimed directly toward the enthusiast gaming community. The cooling features don’t stop at a long list of fans either, as the Spedo Advance Package includes a unique air channelling system called “ATC” or “Advanced Thermal Chambers”. Thermaltake claims that by isolating the CPU, video cards and power supply, that system temperatures can be further reduced. This sounds great in theory, but we wanted to see the results for ourselves. Aside from the interesting cooling properties of the case, Thermaltake also implemented some cool cable management features that also caught our eye. Not only does the case have a pin-contact side-fan that removes the need for cumbersome cabling to the side-panel, but their “CRM” or “Cable Routing Management” system provides some innovative ways to keep the rat’s nest of cable leads under control as well. With that said, the Spedo Advance Package claims to bring a lot to the table and we very much look forward to seeing how it does in the labs!

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Cooler Master Storm Sniper Case Review

Founded over ten years ago, Cooler Master has become a major player in the “thermal solutions” arena. Although probably best known for their computer cases, Cooler Master also produces fans, heatsinks and power supplies. We’ve seen quite a few Cooler Master cases pass through the labs over the last few months, including the ATSC 840 and HAF 932 that have gained quite a bit of popularity in the enthusiast community. Since we were so impressed with the aforementioned models, we didn’t hesitate to take a look at their latest enthusiast offering—the Cooler Master Storm Sniper. The “Storm Series” is a completely new line of cases from Cooler Master that tailors specifically to hardware enthusiasts and gamers. Although the Sniper is the only case in the Storm series to date, we expect to see other cases emerge throughout the year. In case you were wondering, Cooler Master describes the Storm series with the statement: “..guarantees unbeatable, secure reliability that is completely tuned to gamers’ needs. With a total dedication to Strength, Security and Control, Storm Tactics will keep your most vital gear fortified and well tuned at all times.” Although that is an absolutely off the wall statement, we can’t argue about the rich feature set that the Storm Sniper brings to the table. To put it plainly, the Sniper is not your average mid-tower case. With two massive 200mm fans, a military grade appearance and tons of convenience features, it is pretty clear what kind of buyers reside in the crosshairs of the Sniper. It really seems that 120mm fans are going the way of the dinosaur, with more and more oversize models hitting the market lately. We’ve seen 140mm, 180mm, 200mm and even some 230mm fans shipping these days. Smaller 80 and 92mm fans are virtually unheard of in enthusiast cases these days. Another interesting area that Cooler Master is focusing on with the Storm series cases is peripheral security with their “StormGuard” system. Buyers can secure their USB peripherals to prevent theft at public LAN events. This feature coupled with a rugged design and recessed carrying handles makes it a potential choice for those frequenting public gaming events. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the Cooler Master Storm Sniper!

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Crossfire vs SLI Performance Comparison Review

As single GPU video cards continue to get faster and deliver even more performance, are dual video card setups still a viable option for those looking for more performance? If one is good, two or more have to be better, right? In most cases two is better than one, and four is better than two; in most cases, not all. It would be nice to slap in another video card and see double the performance, but again that's not always the case. The cards will scale, and in some games you will see tremendous scaling, but in others you will wonder why you even bothered with the additional purchase. So what does it take to run a two, three, or even four GPU system? First off, you need to choose your video card and manufacturer, and then choose the motherboard that will allow you to run a multi-GPU setup. Sometimes that choice is made for you, if you just have to have a specific motherboard. But systems that were set up for Nvidia's multi-GPU solution SLI, or Scalable Link Interface, you needed a motherboard with an Nvidia chipset that supports the technology. For CrossFire based systems, you had to have a chipset that supports CrossFire technology. Simple enough! What if you already owned a motherboard that only featured a CrossFire capable chipset, and wanted to use Nvidia's multi-GPU solution? Well my friend, you were stuck buying a new motherboard. The solution was much the same for someone who wanted to run CrossFire and had a motherboard that only supported SLI. You get the drift. With the advent of the X58 chipset from Intel, you can have your cake and eat it too, since both technologies are supported.

There are two current technologies in use today. Nvidia's Scalable Link Interface, and ATI's CrossFireX technology. Both have their advantages, but the ultimate decision on which to buy and use is made by you, the consumer.

Both technologies offer improved performance, and will increase the cost of your system build. As part of that build, consider a monitor that is capable of running resolutions that can take advantage of the graphics horsepower delivered by these solutions. A 24 inch monitor capable of 1920x1200, or even a 30 inch monitor capable of resolutions up to 2560x1600, should be considered one of the minimum requirements when running a multi-GPU setup. If you are going to spend $1000 or more on video cards, another grand for a 30 inch monitor should be part of your build's budget. Enough chit-chat, let's see what kind of performance these kinds of setups can deliver. This comparison is not so much about the technology, but the performance you can expect for a system built with a multi-GPU solution.

To view the complete review click here

EVGA GeForce GTX 285 1GB SSC Edition Review

Nvidia has had a tough time as of late with their GTX 200-series being thoroughly beaten in the price / performance area by the HD 4870 512MB and 1GB cards. What followed were drastic price reductions and the release of the GTX 260 with 216 SPs which contributed to allow the GTX 200-series to compete on a level footing with the best ATI had to offer. Meanwhile, the HD 4870 X2 was released and Nvidia didn’t have an answer to that monster until just last week when they officially unveiled their GTX 295 card. As we saw in the review, Nvidia has finally wrested the performance crown out of ATI’s hands and is on a track to success with a full lineup of 55nm cards. We all know that one of the major limiting factors of the initial G200 products was the fact that they were built on a 65nm manufacturing process which essentially made their production costs high (hence the prices we saw at launch) and contributed to massive amounts of heat being generated by the core. The GTX 285 on the other hand is the next evolution of the G200 architecture and uses the newer 55nm manufacturing process which should hopefully allow for higher clocks, lower power consumption and decreased heat. However, not all is certain since as we saw with the GTX 260 216 55nm card, power consumption wasn’t affected much and the overclocking was identical to 65nm cards. That being said, as we will come to see the GTX 285 is a different beast altogether. Other than the 55nm core, what makes a GTX 285 different from a GTX 280? Basically, they are the same card but the GTX 285 carries with it higher clocks much like the 9800 GTX+ did when compared to the vanilla 9800 GTX. Pricing will also be a deciding factor for many since at this point we are seeing a new low in GTX 280 pricing with some cards retailing for significantly less than $400 CAD. Considering that our sources tell us that the GTX 285 will be around $500 CAD before rebates, the GTX 285 could initially receive slow sales. It should also be noted that this is just below the price range where the HD 4870 X2 is currently sitting. For this particular review, EVGA has sent us their GTX 285 SSC card which in typical fashion has overclocks for the shaders, core and memory. You will also get access to EVGA’s excellent customer service, Lifetime Warranty and Step Up programs. From what we hear, stock of this particular EVGA card should be very good and we have already come to know EVGA for having some of the lowest prices on the market today. All of these things should contribute to make the EVGA GTX 285 SSC Edition one of the most popular cards of this generation.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 55nm Superclocked Edition Video Card Review

By now we all know that Nvidia is trying to transition their graphics cards to the 55nm manufacturing process. The transition began with the 9800 GTX+ and has made its way into a few hand-picked 9800 GT models which have yet to find their way to retail. Many of us have been waiting for the shrunken-down cores to eventually trickle down into the newer cards; namely the GTX 200 series. Let’s be honest here for a second; the GTX 280 and 260 cards are power sucking monsters which are not only expensive for Nvidia to produce but also don’t fit very well with the environmentally friendly aspect of today’s marketplace. Efficiency both energy-wise and production-wise is the name of the game these days and with ATI already having 55nm parts on the shelves for the better part of a year now, it was high time Nvidia made the transition as well. The consumers and their bottom line demanded it. Has anyone else noticed that we have been seeing a large number of GTX 200-series card on sale as of late? The reason for this is that Nvidia is trying to get rid of their 65nm cores and starting immediately, we should see 55nm GTX 260 cards make their way to retailers. Just remember, distinguishing a 55nm card from a 65nm one can be a daunting task since we have heard that some board partners will not be advertising the new core on their packaging or PR materials. Even the name hasn’t changed; this is still the GTX 260. The lack of a name change is due to a number of reasons but first and foremost among them is that the 55nm cores will not offer any performance increases over the older cores. Granted, all 55nm GTX 260 cards will feature 216 shaders but other than that, this is still the same card we have come to know and love. While I can promise you that in the future we will see quite a few new products from Nvidia with 55nm cores, today we will be looking at a simple respin of the GTX 260. You may remember that a few months ago we took a look at the EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition card and found it to be excellent competition for the HD 4870 cards. Once again before Christmas, this same card performed extremely well in our Games of Christmas ’08 article. Why are we talking about the Core 216 Superclocked? Well, the first EVGA card out of the paddock with the 55nm core just happens to be the GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition sporting the exact same specs as the card we have been running for the past few months. While it may be a bit counter-intuitive to review a card which is nearly a mirror image of a previous one, this particular example should hopefully provide some pleasant surprises in terms of heat production and power consumption. To this end we will be seriously beefing up those two sections of the review while the comments to the general gaming benchmark results have been cut out. As usual, EVGA offers their Lifetime Warranty and Trade Up program with the GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition but they also bundle in a full version of Far Cry 2 for a bit of added value. Pricing for this card hasn’t quite settled yet and as thus is actually slightly higher than other 216 shader GTX 260s. Is this added cost worth it? We are about to find out.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

EVGA 9800 GTX+ 512MB Video Card Review

We have all had our pockets first picked by rising gas prices, then have received a swift kick in the balls by gutted investments and finally getting a slap to the face by the rising prices of damn near everything. This beatdown has led nearly every industry to the realization that the average consumer either can’t or just doesn’t want to afford the best of the best anymore. We see this playing out quite well in the computer component industry with falling prices and more value-oriented products. Gone are the days of the $800 GPU; they have been replaced by efficient, lower-cost products which appeal to a broader market while still achieving performance numbers to be proud of. Manufacturers like Nvidia and ATI have perfectly seeded this changed market with a plethora of graphics cards which won’t put you out of your rent money since they focus on a “bang for buck” factor everyone seems to be happy with. Let’s be honest, the $150 to $250 price range is the place to be right now as evidenced by the massive number of products all clustered within a mere $100 price bracket. ATI has their new HD 4830 and HD 4850 while Nvidia has the 9600 GT, 9800 GT and 9800 GTX+. Most of these cards have been reviewed by Hardware Canucks but there has always been one notable absentee: the 9800 GTX+. Even though I am sure many of you know exactly what the 9800 GTX+ is all about (seeing that it was released months ago), I am going to bore you with a quick glossing over of its background. Basically, Nvidia had an excellent card on the market with the 9800 GTX until ATI released their HD 4850 and rained all over the parade. An answer was needed and the boys in green wanted to show that they too could release a 55nm chip (remember, the 9800 GTX used the 65nm manufacturing process). While power consumption and heat production are not supposed to go down significantly when making the jump from 65nm to 55nm, the change allowed the newly minted 9800 GTX ”+” to be clocked higher than the outgoing 9800 GTX. This meant better competition against the HD 4850 while keeping cost increases to a minimum by sticking with a tried and true architecture. The new Plus version of the 9800 GTX has been a hit ever since. In this case we will be looking at EVGA’s stock clocked 9800 GTX+ which carries with it a price of around $200, putting it into direct competition with the HD 4850. If the price isn’t enough to get your attention, EVGA’s Lifetime Warranty and Trade Up program are sure to sway you in their direction since at this time there are no ATI board partners which offer either service on a consistent basis. But for some of us, performance is everything so it will be interesting to see how this card stacks up. Fortunately for us, the current financial situation makes the GTX+ prime pickings for a huge swath of consumers either looking to upgrade their system or build a whole new setup. Coupled with the latest drivers from both Nvidia and ATI, we can now show you exactly how the competitors perform against each other using up to date software. Let’s check it out.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

EVGA 8800GT 512MB Superclocked Edition Review

For the last two months there has been buzz in the industry and across the internet that both Nvidia and ATI were going to be releasing new cards in November. Both of these companies are trying extremely hard to target the lucrative market of consumers who are looking for great 3D performance at a sub-$300 price point. ATI launched the opening salvo with their HD2900Pro but supply shortages of this limited edition card dampened people’s enthusiasm towards it. Nvidia has now come into the fight with all guns blazing; today marks the official launch of their 8800GT 512MB and 256MB cards. Many of us thought that Nvidia would release a minor refresh to one of their existing series in order to offer a good price to performance ratio. What we didn’t expect was an entirely new card and that is exactly what Nvidia has done with the 8800GT. Unfortunately, we hear that supply will be a bit tight within the first two weeks following the launch and initially only the 512MB version of the cards will be available with the 256MB version coming to us in mid to late November. One way or another, at a price of around $270CAD for a non-overclocked version of this card, the 8800GT has the potential to take the graphics world by storm if its specs can translate into real-world performance. Once again, this will be a hard launch since we know for a fact that quite a few Canadian retailers have already received stock (albeit limited for the first little while) and should be selling the card as you read this. To give you an idea of how strained things are with supply, it was looking like we would not get one of these cards in time to release any kind of review. Then a mere three days ago we heard one of them was coming our way. Our review unit finally arrived…less than 48 hours before this review goes live. Unfortunately, after a mere 4 hours of sleep in the last two days there were still some things that have not been included here such as overclocking and some final game benchmarks. Expect full overclocking details as well as benchmarks for Stalker, Quake Wars: Enemy Territory, R6:LV and Bioshock in our forum thread over the next few weeks.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Review

Everyone wants to have the fastest systems out but not many can afford it or justify spending thousands of dollars on a computer

, just to have top end technology. But do you really have to spend that much to have an extremely powerful computer for your games and benchmarks? Quad Core processors are becoming the main stream processors used today and with the offerings from Intel and AMD, you have plenty of good processors to choose from. Recently Intel debuted the new i7 processors, but these CPU's come with a premium price. AMD now has brought to the table a new improved processor to the Phenom line. This new processor is the AMD Phenom II X4 CPU. The Phenom II will be manufactured using a 45nm manufacturing process and will include HyperTransport 3.0, a larger cache, an Integrated DDR2 memory controller with support up to DDR2-8500, and True multi-core processing among other outstanding features.

At launch the Phenom II will come in two flavors. First will be the Phenom II 920 which will be clocked at 2.8GHz and the other will be the Phenom II 940 clocked and 3.0GHz and will be a "Black Box" Edition with an unlocked multiplier. For this review we will be taking a look at the AMD Phenom II X4 940 "Black Box". This new processor comes with an increased cache size. There will still be the same 512KB L2 cache per core however the L3 cache will be increased to 6MB shares versus the 2MB L3 the AMD Phenom X4 9850 has. With the Phenom II release there will be a new platform to support it. The AMD Phenom II will be part of the new Dragon Platform which also includes a 790GX based motherboard and an ATI HD 4800 series graphics card.

To view the clomplete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Review

The 45nm chips have been out for some time now. The dual core E8400 and E8500 are proven performers, many reaching insane speeds. The problem has been that the only 45nm Yorkfield processors out have been the "Extreme" line-up, specifically the QX9650 and now QX9770 models. While the performance of the Extreme line-up has been well documented but the consumer looking for a non "Extreme" quad core CPU has been left out in the cold...until now. The regular quad core 45nm parts, Q9300, Q9450, and Q9550 are in e-tailors' hands for shipment (If you can find them in stock), so it was high time that a performance testing was in order. With all of the latest games becoming more and more CPU intensive, multiple core CPUs will start to become more advantageous during gameplay, not to mention the benefits during video encoding and workstation productivity.

So what does the Intel Core 2 Quad 9450 offer over its 65nm predecessors to make it an attractive buy? First, there is the additional L2 cache, three megabytes per core versus two per core, a higher bus speed (333MHz vs. 266MHz), higher clockspeed of 2.66GHz instead of the 2.4GHz on the Q6600 that we have grown so fond of. The 45nm manufacturing process has reduced the die size, and hence the power requirements needed to operate. This of course brings the benefit of reduced energy consumption and a lower thermal signature. But hey, this is Overclockerclub, we're not worried about that, so let's get on to seeing just how far the Q9450 can be pushed since that's what really matters. Let's see if the quad core Q9450 can duplicate the results of its dual core cousins.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Review

The Intel Core 2 Duo and Quad CPUs have been wildly successful in terms of both performance and the ability to overclock like nobody's business. Of course, some better than others. Having dropped from a 65nm to a 45nm manufacturing process earlier this year, Intel has reduced both the required voltage and associated heat generated by this little bit of silicon. Having seen the performance and overclocking abilities of the E8500 and many of its Quad cored brothers, the Q9300, the Q9450 and the QX9770, just how will this higher clocked dual core perform in relation to the quads? The E8400 specs out at a clock speed of 3.0GHz, a front side bus speed of 1333MHz (333), 6MB of L2 cache, and a 45nm process to be used in socket LGA775 motherboards.

The question is asked many times a day, "what's better, a Dual core or a Quad core?" In reality, it all depends on what you do with the computer you build. Some say the duals are better for gaming, others vehemently disagree and spout the virtues of the Quad core category. Let's see if this comparison of CPU performance can end some of this debate or whether it will just add some more fuel to the already simmering flame wars!

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Intel Core i7 "Nehalem" 920, 940 & 965 XE Processor Review

Let’s take a little walk through the recent history of processors since it is a story of amazing success and crushing losses, along with both stunning and utterly disappointing performance numbers. Indeed, we have seen a pretty amazing transformation in the overall performance as well as efficiency in the last few years. Back in the days of Intel’s Pentium 4s to AMD’s Athlons, the processor marketplace used to be a confusing minefield of competing products vying for your attention until AMD released their Athlon 64s. In the blink of an eye, the game of cat versus mouse suddenly had Intel scurrying to find an answer to a surging AMD. AMD enjoyed its time in the limelight until Intel found the answer to their problems in the form of the mobile Yonah laptop processor. From this unsuspecting quarter the Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors we have all come to know and love were conceived and born. Not only did these new processors run all over the AMD competition but they have been running strong for more than two years now with little competition. Now, following Intel’s Tick / Tock model where a new architecture is released every other year, we have a brand new processor family launching and it is called the Nehalem by many but can also go by its Core i7 name or even by its codename: Bloomfield. Today marks the day we are finally able to post our review of the next step in Intel’s march to market domination and with it they are hoping to put the competition to shame. What we get is a processor with four physical cores which through the “miracle” of Hyperthreading (don’t worry, this will be explained in its own section a bit later on in this review) operates as if it has eight cores. Words like QuickPath Interconnect, Turbo Mode and Triple Channel Memory will all become familiar lexicons in no time at all since they are all integral technologies that this new 45nm processor family uses. This may sound perfect for many of you operating those LGA775 systems out there but there is one important thing to remember: unlike the move from the Pentium D to the Core architecture, a completely new socket was used for the i7 processors. Technological advancement comes at a price folks and thankfully, with this step forward the sacrifices one will have to make are relatively minimal. This new LGA 1366 socket will be the centerpiece of a new generation of motherboards boasting enough overclocking potential to put a smile on the face of the most jaded enthusiast while having features galore. We will be running multiple reviews of these new X58-based boards in the coming weeks so stay tuned since some of them are real show stoppers. While today may mark the day we can begin talking about these new processors and their accompanying motherboards, it will still be a few weeks until you can actually go out and purchase one. In other words...be patient. That being said, even though they may not have any real amount of competition on the market today, the prices being asked for the processors themselves will not be exorbitant. According to the chaps over at Intel, the launch prices will be about $284 for the i7-920, $562 for the i7-940 and finally nearly $1000 for the i7-965. This isn’t outrageous but since you have to factor the price of a new motherboard and memory into the equation, things start getting a bit hairy for the bank account. That being said, boys will be boys and many of us will spend whatever it takes to get the latest and greatest. We should also mention right now that this review marks the launching point of what will amount to be a series of articles about this new Intel platform, its features and how to best take control of all the options at your fingertips. Without a doubt, this is an exciting day to be a reviewer and a consumer so without sounding too excited, let’s get this show on the road and introduce you to this brand new world Intel wants us all to be part of.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description (i7 920) click here
To view Amazon's price and description (i7 940) click here

EVGA GTX 295 1792MB GDDR3 Video Card Review

I know that there are many of you are thinking right now: “what, another new graphics card from Nvidia?” yup, you got it guys, Nvidia is on a mission to recapture the performance crown from the HD 4870 X2 and they aren’t being subtle about it. Their latest stab at the ultra high end is called the GTX 295 and it is packing enough heat to put ATI’s frontrunner in its place. Yes, this may be a bit “been there, done that” for those of you who read our preview of the GTX 295 a few weeks ago but make no mistake about it; this is a review with a ton of games, higher IQ settings and yes, even those power consumption numbers we were asked to show after the preview. This is where the rubber meets the road folks since we are expecting a finished product here without the quirkiness found in the beta drivers used for the preview. In this vein we should mention right away that the drivers we are using for this review should be available at launch from the Nvidia website. So, what is this card all about? Basically, it consists of a pair of 55nm GTX 260 cards joined by and SLI connector which have been massaged to provide a little extra performance through additional texture filter units and stream processors. These two cores are each paired up with 896MB of GDDR3 memory for a total of 1792MB which puts it slightly below the 2GB of lightning-fast GDDR5 found on the HD 4870 X2 but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue performance-wise. However, in the preview we saw the telltale signs of framebuffer limitation in some rare cases so it will be interesting to see if this becomes more pronounced as we bump up the AA and IQ settings in the later tests. Pricing here in Canada seems to have been set and while the GTX 295 was supposed to retail for around the same price as the HD 4870 X2 and it has indeed hit that point squarely on the head. One thing is for sure: with Nvidia promising their new wunderkind will outperform ATI’s dual GPU monster, equal pricing is definitely a breath of fresh air. Trust me, I have seen companies quote a price for a preview only to see that price balloon as distributors and retailers inflate their cut of the cake. So, now that we have seen actual pricing here in Canada, Nvidia's original number have borne true. In this particular review we will be looking at the EVGA GTX 295 which will be available at launch in good quantities throughout the country. Usually we get an overclocked version of their cards at launch but this time it is a stock clocker as we have been told that there won’t be any overclocked cards from any manufacturer at launch. This probably has something to do with the temperatures seen on the cores but more on that a bit later in the review. One way or another, as usual you should feel confident in looking at this EVGA card since they have some of the best customer service around, have a Lifetime Warranty on all of their cards and also offer their famous Step Up program. We should also mention that from personal experience we have usually found EVGA graphics cards to be among the least expensive at most retailers which is always something to remember in these tough times. Speaking of tough times, it may seem odd that Nvidia is releasing a near-$600 ($500 for our friends south of the border) at a time when phrases like “credit crunch” and “slowing economy” are all the rage. I am sure Nvidia has their reasons but let’s be honest, laying claim to the top spot in the GPU power race has massive PR advantages even if the product doesn’t sell like hotcakes. Anyways, enough rambling. On to the review!!!

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

AMD Phenom II X4 955 AM3 CPU Review

AMD has been busy with their motherboard chipset and processor releases this year. At CES, we took a look at the new Phenom II series beginning with the Phenom II X4 940, which was an AM2+ processor with a lot of attitude and a new level of performance and overclocking ability than we have seen from the Phenom series CPUs. Fast forward a bit, and AMD has been releasing socket AM3 processors, which support the faster DDR3 memory standard. Today we are going to be taking a look at one new AM3 processor, the AMD Phenom II X4 955. The new Phenom II 955 processor takes on the success of the Phenom II 940 and builds on it for faster, bleeding-edge performance. The AMD Phenom II X4 955 is clocked at 3.2GHz, and has a total L2 and L3 cache of 8MB. As with other AM3 processors, the Phenom II 955 can be used in both AM2+ and AM3 motherboards, supporting DDR2 1066MHz and DDR3 1333MHz memory on a 128-bit wide memory controller. Now that I have you drooling, let's move on and look closer at the CPU itself.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Gigabyte EX58-UD4P Review

With the latest Core i7 processors from Intel, people are seeking more variety in motherboards. Companies have begun to release new motherboards, while others still are hard to find in circulation. Inherently, the Tylersburg chipset can support both Nvidia’s SLI and ATI’s CrossFire, so for people looking to jump on the i7 bandwagon, the main things to look for are how well built and placed the components on the motherboard are, as well as how stable the board operates from user experience; also many people go with who offers the best warranty. Many of you are into overclocking, so you'll look for the board with good heatsinks, and find out from word of mouth if it can clock well.

Gigabyte is a company that primarily produces motherboards for Intel and AMD processors, but also makes video cards, notebooks, HTPCs, desktops, and other computer components. The company is based in Taiwan, and was founded in 1986 as a research team. Gigabyte has turned into a top-tier motherboard company, and employer of over 8,500 people. The company strives for the best, and has even won the Taiwan Excellence Award 11 years in a row; they also claim that at least one in ten computers contain a Gigabyte motherboard, a staggering number considering how many motherboard companies are out in the world. Now that we are familiarized with the company, let us take a peek at the third motherboard in a line of five - the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

eVGA X58 3X SLI Review

With Intel moving to a brand new platform comes a whole bunch of new motherboards, but this time they are all built around the same chipset. Due to licensing and most likely other undisclosed reasons, nVidia has not yet produced a chipset to pair with the new i7 processors. Therefore, it might sound like choice should be rather limited when it comes to chipsets, although manufacturers have managed to come up with a wide array of more or less different products. However, companies like eVGA, XFX and BFG are close nVidia partners and they're now left with nothing but video cards. That has led XFX and eVGA to go ahead and jump ship so we have new players in the ATI and Intel arenas, respectively. Obviously the engineers over at eVGA already have experience in designing boards as they have done so for a long time anywhere between entry level and top end enthusiast markets. Since performance between various X58 boards is pretty close, it can be hard for a brand to distinguish itself and even harder for a first timer.

So on the test bench sits eVGA's first motherboard equipped with an Intel chipset, while still keeping relatively tight links with nVidia. The board is marketed around its ability to handle Tri-SLI configuration and the whole color theme is interestingly similar to what we saw on 790i boards. It comes with the usual features found on its fellow X58 competitors - support for triple channel DDR3, 10 SATA ports, FireWire, dual Gigabit LAN and more. Of course, it can also run CrossFireX since it is royalty-free and doesn't require an extra chip or anything. Without any further ado, let's see what eVGA has to offer.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Sapphire HD 4890 Atomic Edition Review

Sapphire is one ATI partner that really takes the time to build a better product for the consumer. Usually the lag time between the original reference video cards release and the "Improved" versions is a few months, at least. Not this time around. Just a scant one month ago, the HD 4890 was released with a clock speed of 850 MHz on the R790 core, and a clock speed of 975MHz on the 1GB GDDR5 memory. Pretty hefty increases from the HD 4870 it is replacing as the top dog single GPU in ATI's performance lineup. As ATI's largest partner, Sapphire seems to have a leg up when it comes to building enthusiast level video cards that usually start with their own PCB design. From there, the power circuits get the work over - and finally, to top it off, the "Improved" cards usually sport a readily available aftermarket cooling solution as seen on the HD 4850 Toxic model, or a full-on custom creation as seen on the HD 4870x2 Atomic video card.

Lately, the push on the cooling has been the extremely effective Vapor-X heatsink design that has adorned all of Sapphire's top end creations. This cooling concept was first released on the HD 3870 Atomic edition, back in early 2008. The last card we looked at from Sapphire, before the release of the HD 4890, was the HD 4870 2GB Vapor-X edition that took this concept to another level. Talking about going to the next level! What I have in my grubby hands here from Sapphire is a pre-production sample of the HD 4890 Atomic that really is a step above the standard HD 4890. The Vapor-X cooling is just the tip of the iceberg with this card. Let's see just what makes this card so special, and see what it can do.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description (for now just the 4890 standard) click here

ASUS Rampage II Extreme X58 Motherboard Review

Hardware Canucks is proud to bring you a review of arguably the most lusted after motherboard in recent memory…the incomparable Rampage II Extreme. As a follow-up to the massively popular Rampage Extreme, ASUS had a considerable task on their hands and it would have been easy for them to drop the ball. However, at first sight, it looks like they have not only succeeded in creating another exceptional product, but have once again raised the bar when it comes to what enthusiasts will expect from a premium overclocking-focused motherboard. With the new Core i7 series, Intel have made a long overdue improvement to their CPUs and moved the memory controller from the northbridge to the processor itself. Since motherboard manufacturers can no longer custom tweak chipset timings in order to greatly improve overall performance, the performance differences between X58 motherboards is essentially going to be nil. Therefore, more than ever, motherboard manufacturers have realized that unique and innovative features are going to be absolutely critical in distinguishing their models from the competition. ASUS is obviously aware of this fact, and since the Rampage II Extreme is the pinnacle of their lineup, they have decked it out with all sorts of goodies. Featuring three mechanical PCI-E x16 2.0 slots, CrossFire and much-anticipated 3-Way SLI support, six SATA II ports, eSATA and FireWire capabilities, SupremeFX X-Fi 8-channel HD audio card, two PCI-E Gigabit LAN controllers, two physical BIOSes, overclocking-friendly TweakIt and ProbeIt features, an eye-catching cooling system, a feature-rich BIOS, and an impressive bundle, the Rampage II Extreme certainly has everything that one could want in a high-end overclocking-oriented motherboards. Quite a few Republic of Gamers (R.o.G) motherboards have passed through our labs this year, such as the Rampage Formula and Rampage Extreme, and they have left a very positive impression on the HWC staff. Consequently, although we have high expectations for this model, we will nevertheless scrutinize it with a microscope and try to find its every flaw. So can this new high-end board live up to the hype and survive our onslaught of tests? Let’s find out.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 X58 Motherboard Review

All the way back in late September in Taipei, during the Gigabyte Open Overclocking Championship 2008, we had the unique opportunity to get a first-hand look at a prototype Gigabyte X58 motherboard. Although it wasn't quite ready for the spotlight, it still had the frightening lime green and pink memory slots, the sample certainly had a promising layout and drool-worthy assortment of PCI-E x16 slots. Currently, Gigabyte is full steam ahead with regard to Intel's latest chipset, and the company has the second most substantial roster of X58 motherboards, with the current count clocking in at an impressive six models. From the Top-of-the-Line EX58-EXTREME to the surprisingly budget-friendly EX58-UD3R, all the models share the sleek new White & Blue colour-scheme, Ultra Durable 3 design attributes, and enough integrated features to make a smartphone jealous. Today, we will be reviewing the EX58-UD5, which is the second most high-end model in Gigabyte's current roster, and which is largely differentiated from the EXTREME model by its lack of the elaborate Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 cooling system. The omission of the more impressive cooling system doesn't seem to have diminished interest in this motherboard, since this is the model that consumers are buying in spades and it is easy to see why. Gigabyte have packed the EX58-UD5 with a tackle box full of features. What stands out immediately are the three mechanical PCI-E x16 2.0 slots, 3-way CrossFireX and 3-way SLI support, unprecedented storage capabilities in the form of ten SATA II ports, eSATA and FireWire capabilities, onboard 8-channel High-Definition audio with Dolby Home Theatre technology, Dynamic Energy Saver (DES) Advanced, twin PCI-E Gigabit LAN controllers, two physical BIOSes, motherboard-wide array of diagnostic LEDs, and that just scratches the surface hardware wise. Clearly everything looks very promising on paper, so we are interested in determining how well it all comes together in one package, and seeing what the results are when you combine Gigabyte's design and engineering 'know-how' with the new Core i7 platform.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here

EVGA X58 SLI LGA 1366 Motherboard Review

Tick-tock, which cycle we are on? We have no clue, but we do know that another stroke from the arm of the Intel clock has proliferated throughout the universe. The new Intel Core i7 processors have dropped and are doing what they do best: overpowering the competition. Our resident news hound Mac recently introduced us to the new "Nehalem" processors also known as Intel Core i7 in his Intel Core i7 Processor Review. We have also looked at one of the hottest boards out of the i7 gate in the Rampage Extreme II here at HWC. Well today, we continue down the i7 road with another highly anticipated X58 based motherboard; the EVGA X58 SLI. Hot off the heels of their recently successful nForce 790i SLI FTW Digital, the announcement that EVGA - an industry leader in customer service - would be jumping the NVIDIA ship and offering an Intel X58 motherboard; sent the enthusiast forums into a frenzy. It makes perfect sense since NVIDIA has licensed SLI for use on the Intel X58 chipset, but we were still all so thrilled to hear the good news as nothing was certain on the EVGA motherboard future up to that point. As mentioned, EVGA isn't just another company that sells computer hardware. Their legion of followers, fans, and customers will attest to EVGA being one of those companies that actually takes care of its customers. Based in the Los Angeles area of California, EVGA is off the beaten silicon valley path and able to really concentrate on the task at hand...satisfying customers. Their presence in enthusiast forums is strong, and their "24/7 Tech Support" sets them apart from other hardware manufacturers. In addition to this, the EVGA home forum is a bustling activity of EVGA staffers helping customers out, but more importantly, EVGA customers helping each other out. The community EVGA has built with their customers is rivaled by none and I have even found myself caught up in the spirit of helping out other EVGA users. This mentality seems to be contagious amongst EVGA users and it all originates from the EVGA support, service, and amenities offered by EVGA.com. As much as we could go on all day about EVGA service, we are not here to only talk about EVGA though, we have a motherboard to look at as well. The X58 SLI still bleeds green blood and is advertised as an SLI ready motherboard but is quite capable of running ATI CrossFireX as well. The X58 SLI offers three PCI-E 16X slots for the craziest of video card setups, six DDR3 DIMM slots capable of handling up to 12GB of RAM, a total of nine onboard SATA II ports, 8 Channel High Definition audio, and a host of features that cater to the enthusiast. In typical EVGA fashion, this board has everything anyone could ask for...well, that is what we are going to attempt to find out right now.

To view the complete review click here

To view Amazon's price and description click here